School Attendance: Issues to Consider

Successful schools begin by engaging students and making sure they come to school regularly. That may seem obvious. What’s less obvious is that the consequences of low attendance are serious for all children and for the community, not just the students who miss school.

School attendance data on GreatSchools.org (which comes from the state Department of Education) gives you baseline information on the quality of a school. The type of data displayed depends on what each state Department of Education makes available. In Texas, for example, you will see the attendance rate and the mobility rate, while in Washington, you’ll see the unexcused absence rate. Where available, you’ll find this information under the School Environment tab under “Students” on each school profile.

What does the attendance rate tell you about a school?

The attendance rate tells you the average percentage of students attending school each day in the given year, as reported by the state Department of Education. (Some states report this attendance rate as the percentage of students with unexcused absences.) You can also see the state average for the attendance rate and compare how your school stacks up. In some states, you will see the mobility rate (which means the percentage of students who transfer out of the school). Most schools have high attendance rates. If your school’s attendance rate is below the state average, the school may face challenges in getting students to come to school regularly. Ask the principal why the attendance rate is lower than the state average and what the school is doing to address this issue.

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How important is attendance?

The attendance rate is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. It’s difficult for the teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of students are frequently absent. In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities.

A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance, beginning in kindergarten. Gregory Hickman, director of the Rodel Community Scholars program and former director of the Arizona Dropout Initiative, notes they discovered that as early as kindergarten, behavioral differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, with dropouts missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade.

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School budgets may suffer when students don’t attend. In many states, school budgets are based on the average daily attendance at a school. If many students enrolled at a school fail to consistently attend, the school has less money to pay for essential classroom needs.

Forge a relationship with local law enforcement and make them allies in showing the community, family and students that school is the place to be.

Forge a relationship with local businesses so that they cooperate in encouraging students to go to school and not congregate at businesses during school hours.

Call parents – not an answering machine – when their children are not in school to let them know the school is concerned.

Talk to students about why they were gone and let them know they were missed.

What other factors should you consider when evaluating your school?

The attendance rate is just one factor to consider when sizing up your school. You’ll want to look at the test scores, student-teacher ratio, Parent Reviews and other data that you can find on GreatSchools.org. You’ll also want to find out more about the school climate, quality of school leadership, parent involvement and other factors that aren’t apparent from school data.

Questions Parents Should Ask

If you are concerned about the attendance rate at your school, here are some questions you might ask your principal and your school site council:

Does the school provide a welcoming atmosphere for students and parents?

Do students feel safe at school?

What actions does the school take to follow up on students who are absent?

Do teachers call parents when students are frequently absent?

Does the school know why students are absent? The school cannot address the problem if administrators don’t understand the causes.

Has the school taken steps to forge a positive relationship with local law enforcement, business and community members to work together to encourage students to come to school?

Does the school reward students for good attendance?

What can parents do to help the school encourage all students to attend?